Coffee Machine with Losing Filter or Capsule

ABSTRACT

Espresso machine with disposable filter or capsule comprising a chassis ( 1 ), a porta-capsule body comprising a rotating part ( 2 ) and a fixed part ( 3 ), which lodges a disposable filter or capsule ( 14 ), a heat exchanger ( 5 ), an electro-pump ( 24 ), an infusion piston ( 6 ), a pressure cam ( 7 ), a coffee brewing cam ( 19 ), control and regulation means, supporting means, fixing means, sealing means, characterized by the fact that:
         the seal between the capsule ( 14 ) and the infusion piston ( 6 ) is ensured by the clamping given by a vertical mechanical motion, by means of the rotation of said cam ( 7 );   the removal of the capsule is ensured by a rear sensor shaft system ( 29 ) and a front gravity extractor ( 35 );   it uses a semi-automatic system to load and remove the capsule with the rotation of said rotating part ( 2 ) of the porta-capsule body;   It is equipped with an electro-mechanical clamping and safety system operated by said cams ( 7, 19 ) and controlled by a number of micro-switches;

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a coffee or espresso machine withdisposable filter or capsule, equipped with a semi-automatic systemoperating in two phases:

1) Manual placement of the disposable filter or capsule;2) Coffee brewing and return to phase 1 by electronic control andelectro-mechanical actuators.

Espresso machines of this type use a special one-cup semi-rigid plasticfilter, which contains grounded, dosed and tamped coffee, and is nameddisposable filter or capsule or any similar. Hereafter it will beidentified as capsule. In the espresso machines on the market the samepump generally serves the hydraulic clamping system and the automaticdisposal of the used capsule, and the coffee brewing as well. This meansthat the total pressure is proportionally distributed between theclamping/disposal and the brewing. Such a pressure distribution amongthree systems, however, does not allow a good quality of the finalproduct and a good clamping pressure, producing water leakage andscaling inside the machine. Moreover, the capsule filling/disposalsystem is rather complex and unreliable for it uses a spring mechanism,which is likely to loose the original mechanical features due to the useand the high temperatures.

Aim of the present invention is an absolutely innovative, mechanicalsystem to load and remove the disposable filter or capsule, whichpresents high strength and reliability at the high pressure; another aimof the present invention is a mechanical system of sealing and pressingon the disposable filter or capsule.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

Espresso machine with disposable filter or capsule, equipped with asemi-automatic system to brew espresso coffee, characterized by thefollowing features:

-   -   A semi-automatic, totally mechanical system to load and discard        the disposable filer or capsule. The counterclockwise rotation,        when closing, of the capsule holder rotating on the portafilter        body, creates a housing geometrically fit for the capsule; the        perfect overlap of the two bodies is guided by a grooving and        tonguing joint and a ball pressed on the bottom of the rotating        body, that is housed in a spherical cavity on the fixed body.        During the coffee brewing, a vertical and ring joint stabilizes        the two mechanical parts and allows a perfect and rigid grasp        between the two bodies, such as to balance the high pressures        during the brewing. This implies a perfect housing of the        capsule and avoids possible deformations produced by the        combined effect, by the type of plastic material, and by the        high working pressure and water temperatures. The rear sensor        rod and the front gravity extractor are positioned in a way to        ensure, once the brewing is over, the removal of the used        capsule that is discarded into a small container located on the        bottom of the machine chassis. While brewing, in fact, the        capsule could adhere to the housing surfaces in case it is        deformed by pressure and temperature. After the removal the        device is automatically ready to manually place in a new capsule        for the next brewing. The system is solid, reliable, and allows        to repeat the placement and removal with a rotation of 600.    -   A completely mechanical clamping system of the capsule infusion        piston operated by a connection between pressure cam, tappet,        heat exchanger and infusion piston, with double function: to        clamp the piston and to feed the electric circuit of the        electro-pump with a synchronized system comprising a brewing cam        connected to the motor shaft, which activates a micro-switch. In        fact, only when the capsule is on its place, the electro-motor        starts rotating, clockwise, of 1800; it drags the pressure cam        and at the same time, the brewing cam which makes sure (by its        synchronized position) that the capsule is pressed and,        contemporary, sets in motion the electro-pump and the brewing.        This system allows to spare the total working power of the        electro-pump for the brewing, ensuring an excellent coffee, no        water leakage and no scaling or wear of the mechanisms.    -   A double possibility to adjust the distance between the capsule        and the piston: a macro-regulation by mean of the piston        rotation (clockwise or counterclockwise), increasing or        decreasing the distance from the capsule for large distances; a        micro-regulation by mean of the tappet sliding in the housing        shaped on the heat exchanger, controlled by two Belleville        washers and a limit stop given by a threaded dowel. This        regulation allows a further adjustment with any possible flaw of        the capsule.    -   An electro-mechanical control system to verify that the capsule        is lodged and the lodging pressure of the brewing piston. This        guarantees that the machine works under these conditions only;        moreover, in this way, the number of manual operations is        reduced.

Aims, advantages and features of the present invention will be moreunderstandable with the detailed description of a preferred but notlimited to, embodiment, reported as an example.

Reference will be made to the attached drawing in which:

FIG. 1 shows the espresso machine, internal left side;

FIG. 2 shows the espresso machine, internal front side;

FIG. 3 shows a longitudinal section of the center line and shows theassembling system of the mechanical elements;

FIG. 4 shows the fixed part and the rotating part of the porta-capsulebody with the hinge mechanism and the capsule removal system accordingto a first embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 5 shows the system connecting the two bodies and the tamping motionon the capsule;

FIG. 6 shows the functioning of the sliding system of the capsuleadjustment;

FIG. 7 shows the flare on the piston that contains possible spurts ofcoffee or hot water within the machine body;

FIG. 8 shows the hinge mechanism between the porta-capsule bodies, thegrooving and tonguing joint;

FIGS. 9 a and 9 b show the fixed part and rotating part of theporta-capsule body with the hinge mechanism and the removal systemaccording to a second embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 10 shows a longitudinal section of the center line and theassembling system of the mechanical elements according to said secondembodiment of the invention.

WAYS OF CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Referring to the drawings, and particularly to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, theespresso machine consists of a chassis 1, a porta-capsule bodycomprising a rotating part 2 and a fixed part 3, equipped with a knob37, a brewing spout 38, a sensor shaft 29, a micro-switch 33 and frontextractor 35 which can lodge a disposable filter or capsule 14, a heatexchanger 5, with electro-pump 24, electro-valve for water delivery 25,a heater 26 and thermostat 39, a piston 31 and related ciclers 43,tappet 9 and an accelerator 31, a pressure cam 7, and a coffee brewingcam 19 with micro-switch 20, both controlled by an electro-motor 21,supporting means, fixing means, regulation and sealing means.

With the machine in stand-by, the pressure cam 7 is at the top deadcenter (Phase A in FIG. 5). This cam connected to the motor shaft 10 bymeans of a threaded dowel 44 rotates inside the motor flask 4; on thesame shaft the coffee brewing cam 19 is connected by means of a screw18.

By means of the knob 37 the rotating part of the porta-capsule body ismanually rotated clockwise; the sensor shaft 29, tensioned by thehelical spring 42 (FIG. 3), pushes forward the used capsule 14 from thefixed body. The front extractor 35, fastened on the motor shaft 4 bymeans of the front extractor-supporting shaft 16 and the elastic pin 34,during the rotation of the rotating body, serves to hold and make thecapsule fall by gravity. The system comprising the rear sensor shaft andthe front extractor ensures the discharge and fall of the used capsulesinto a small container, in case the capsule is jammed in the lodging ofparts 2 and 3 of the porta-capsule body due to some strains or adhesionsproduced by the pressure and the temperature.

The rotating motion of the rotating part 2 of the porta-capsule bodymakes the mechanism ready for the placing of a new capsule for the nextbrewing, as shown in FIG. 4 (Phases A and B). After the capsule ispositioned on the rotating part 2, the manual rotation,counterclockwise, closes and connects said rotating part 2 and fixedpart 3 of the porta-capsule body. The correct positioning of the twoparts takes place tanks to the hinge created between said parts and thefulcrum of the grooving 11 (detail G of FIG. 8) and to the tonguingjoint (detail F of FIG. 8) and guide ball 46 (detail P in FIG. 5) keptpressed by an helical spring 45, sited in the spherical slot 48 on thefixed part of the porta-capsule body.

When closing, the sensor shaft 29, fastened on the fixed part of theporta-capsule body by a clamping screw 30, is forced to counterbalancethe spring 42, and is pushed toward the micro-switch lever 33, whichfeeds the electrical circuit of the electro-motor 21.

Such motor rotates the pressure cam 7 of 1800, up to the bottom deadcenter (Phase B of FIG. 5), determining a pressure on the tappet 9 thatbrings the heat exchanger 5 near the piston 6, connected by an infusioncider 43, towards the cap to reach a perfect adhesion piston/capsule anda satisfactory infusion pressure.

The infusion piston stroke towards the capsule shapes the lodging of thelocking bushing 12 (detail O of FIG. 5) into the slot on the rotatingpart of the porta-capsule body creating a ring coupling that connect thetwo parts 2 and 3, during the coffee brewing (Phase B of FIG. 5)

The perfect seal between the capsule and the infusion piston 6, duringthe brewing of coffee, is ensured by other factors. First, the rightregulation of the distance between the capsule and the piston byrotating clock- or counterclockwise the piston 6, threaded to theinfusion cider 43. The second factor is the flexible slide (detail E ofFIG. 6), controlled by two Belleville washers 15, of the tappet 9 in thelodging on the heat exchanger 5 that allows any further adjustment dueto any possible flaw of the capsule, with a stroke of 0.7 mm (detail Dof FIG. 6), controlled by the socket head screw 36. The third factorrelates to an O-ring 27, positioned on the lodging on the piston, thatensures a perfect adhesion to the capsule and, consequently, a perfectseal.

The synchronism of the brewing cam 19 and the pressure cam 7 allows,when the pressure cam reaches the BDC (Phase B of FIG. 5), that theelectrical circuit controlled by the micro-switch 20 breaks off the feedof the electro-motor 21 and acts the electro-pump 24, producing thebrewing of the coffee. The geometric truncated-conical shape on theinfusion piston, close to the contact with the capsule (detail A of FIG.7), suitable to avoid possible coffee or hot water spurts, is anothersafety element. Once the brewing is accomplished the electro-mechanismstops the electro-pump circuit and acts the electro-motor so that thepressure cam reaches the TDC, allowing the capsule to separate from theassembly piston-accelerator-tappet by means of the helical spring 8 andmaking the system ready for a new brewing. In this preferentialembodiment of the invention there are other components: a secondgrooving 13, a clamping screw 17 of the brewing cam, a clamping screw 22of the coffee group, a rotation lever 23 of the accelerator, aregulating nut 28 of the sensor shaft, a clamping screw 32 of theheater, a screw 40 to rotate the accelerator, a clamping screw 41 of theaccelerator, and a ball 47. All the mechanical components, single orcoupled, are made with high standards of quality.

Another useful way to realize the porta-capsule body is shown in FIGS. 9a, 9 b and 10. Here, the rotating part 2 of the porta-capsule body ismade of plastic, while the gravity extractor 35 is supplied with arubber terminal. This implies an alteration of the infusion piston 6 andthe increase of its stroke. When closed, in fact, this piston presses onthe capsule, stops the rotating part of the porta-capsule bodypreventing it from opening. In this way the fixing by the tonguing jointand the pressed ball can be avoided. The realization details, thematerials and the shape of the espresso machine with disposable filteror capsule or similar can vary but remaining within the field of theinvention and the patent.

1. Espresso machine using a disposable filter or capsule, comprising achassis (1), a capsule-holder body comprising a rotating part (2) and afixed part (3), which lodges a disposable filter or capsule (14), a heatexchanger (5), an electro-pump (24), an infusion piston (6), a pressurecam (7), a coffee brewing cam (19), control and regulation means,supporting means, fixing means, sealing means, characterized by the factthat the seal between the capsule (14) and the infusion piston (6) isensured by the clamping given by a vertical mechanical motion, by meansof the rotation of said pressure cam (7).
 2. Espresso machine accordingto claim 1 wherein said seal between the capsule (14) and the infusionpiston (6) is ensured by the adjustment of the macro-distance betweenthe piston and the capsule, by the piston (6) rotation, by thecontrolled slide of two Belleville washers (15) of said tappet (9) andby an O-ring (27).
 3. Espresso machine according to claims 1 comprisinga rear sensor shaft system (29) and a front extractor (35), located in away to insure the removal and fall of the capsule into a suitablecontainer.
 4. Espresso machine according to claim 1, comprising asemi-automatic system to load and remove the capsule with the rotationof said rotating part (2) of the capsule-holder body, hinged by agrooving (11) to the fixed part (3) of the capsule-holder body, whichensures the removal of the used capsule, making the system ready for thenext capsule and the next coffee brewing.
 5. Espresso machine accordingto claim 4 wherein the positioning of said two parts (2 and 3) is madeby the grooving and tonguing joint and the ball (46).
 6. Espressomachine according to claim 4 wherein said rotating part (2) of thecapsule-holder body is made of plastic; the gravity extractor (35) beingequipped with a rubber terminal (49) and the infusion piston (6) pressesthe capsule (14), and lock said rotating part of the capsule-holder bodyto avoid its opening.
 7. Espresso machine according to claim 1comprising an electro-mechanical clamping and safety system operated bysaid cams (7, 19) controlled by an electric motor (21); said camslocated the piston (6) on the capsule (14) and with the same action,they allow the electro-pump (24) feeding the brewing coffee.
 8. Espressomachine according to claim 1 comprising a number of micro-switchesconnected to an electrical or electronic circuit, which provides aneasier and safer use of the machine with only one manual operation, thatis the load and removal of the capsule.
 9. Espresso machine according toclaim 1, wherein the infusion piston (6) has a truncated-conical shapeclose to the contact with the capsule (14), to avoid possible spurts ofcoffee or hot water.